-Cross-posted at WeArePowershift.org

-Written by Dakota Thomas, a senior at the University of Virginia's College at Wise, in Wise County, Virginia

Link: http://www.highlandcavalier.com/2012/04/20/letter-to-the-editor-coal-an-unstable-foundation-for-swva-s-economy/

 

One can’t make it ten feet down the street of Wise without seeing a “Friends of Coal” sticker on a bumper or a sign espousing that “We keep the lights on.” And while coal is the driving force behind our economy today, people of the area’s minds are captivated by it as though the coal industry can do no wrong. But the coal industry is above all else a business. They make a profit by developing new, cheaper (read: less human dependent and more robotic) technology, or by securing legislative outcomes that favor them rather than good policy.

The campaign for offshore wind power in Virginia has launched into the fall season full-steam, and with a backdrop of beautiful weather and some highly contested elections in Hampton Roads, our volunteers got out there and made a big splash over the last few weeks!

 

Last week, CCAN, along with folks from the solar industry and other environmental groups testified before the State Corporation Commission (SCC) to oppose Dominion’s latest tactics to kill renewables in Virginia.

On Tuesday morning, CCAN's Virginia team and members of the newly created VA4Wind coalition came together to formally announce our campaign to bring offshore wind energy to Virginia. Because Dominion Virginia Power is the commonwealth's largest electric utility, the coalition is calling on the company to develop a large-scale offshore wind energy project off of Virginia's coast. We hope to compel Dominion to include offshore wind in its September 2011 Integrated Resources Plan (IRP).

[caption id="attachment_4507" align="aligncenter" width="300" caption="VA4Wind"][/caption]

At the event, VA4Wind leaders touted the plentiful benefits of offshore wind energy and the opportunities it provides for the commonwealth, including the addition of thousands of new jobs and a new revenue source for Virginia's economy, cleaner air and water, and stable long-term energy prices. With plentiful offshore winds, a deepwater port and a skilled and experienced labor force, Virginia could easily be the east coast capital for America's new offshore wind industry.

In just a matter of weeks, VA4Wind has already collected more than 3,000 signatures from Virginians who want to see Dominion take concrete steps towards developing offshore wind power. In addition, more than 60 Virginia businesses and organizations have already pledged their support for offshore wind energy.

Sign the petition today, and if you own a business or non-profit, please add your business' name to our platform sign-on letter here.

This morning, I was one of about a dozen environmental advocates to attend Dominion Resources Inc.'s annual shareholder meeting in Charlottesville, VA, while about 30 others rallied outside. Between shareholder proposals, comments and questions by shareholders and their proxies and the company's own presentations, reducing the company's impact on the environment was discussed at least as much as its financial performance. And the meeting left me hopeful that environmental advocates can work with Dominion to increase its investment in renewables, especially offshore wind power.

Just this Tuesday, we publicly launched our joint campaign with the Sierra Club Virginia Chapter, Green Jobs Alliance and Virginia Interfaith Power & Light asking Dominion to work with us to invest in offshore wind power. So today I spoke at the shareholder meeting in support of a proposal for the company to set and pursue a goal of 20% renewable energy generation by 2024. Specifically, I spoke about the fact that while offshore wind power does require a greater investment up front, it carries fewer long-term financial risks than investing in fossil fuel power plants. The risks of building new fossil fuel generation include:

--volatile prices for coal and natural gas that are set by an increasingly global market
--the potential need for pollution control upgrades in order to comply with future environmental laws
--and the risk of accidental releases, like the catastrophic spill of coal-ash that Tennessee Valley Authority had in 2008, which could cost millions in clean up expenses, not to mention the public relations fall-out.

On Monday, Lt. Gov. Bill Bolling announced a second round of stimulus funding to Virginia residents for energy efficiency upgrades to their homes. Some thirty hours later, the funds were all gone. This strikes me as pretty funny because during our fight at the General Assembly to pass a mandatory energy efficiency resource standard, Dominion VA Power and their supporters at the capital kept telling us that the utilities shouldn't be held responsible for consumer behavior. Hmmm, seems to me that consumers not only understand the importance of upgrading old, money guzzling appliances but also want to make the necessary changes. I wonder what the excuse is going to be next year?

This LTE was published in the Richmond Times Dispatch

Wise County Plant Isn't Necessary

Editor, Times-Dispatch: Although the news article, "New Permit for Coal-Fired Power Plant Pleases Both Sides," quotes Dominion Virginia Power as claiming that the Wise County coal plant is vital to meeting Virginia's future energy needs, the opposite is true.

An independent study found that Virginia can keep energy use flat over the next 15 years simply by investing in cost-effective and existing energy-efficiency technologies. We can avoid constructing any new generation facilities just by weatherizing homes, upgrading heating and cooling systems in office buildings, and updating lighting in factories. These same technologies would bring 10,000 new jobs to the commonwealth, while the costs associated with the coal plant would actually force the Virginia economy to contract by move than 1,400 jobs (a conservative estimate given pending climate legislation).

Dominion's claim that its coal plant will help the economic wellbeing of Southwest Virginia also misses the mark. Our reliance on coal allows for the devastating practice of mountaintop removal coal mining, which is ravaging Southwest Virginia. Tops are ripped off mountains, streams are blocked by waste, and then the coal is transported out of the community, suffocating people with the toxic dust that blows off coal trucks.

The alternatives to coal are real. The new energy future broke ground in Virginia last month when construction began on our very first wind farm in Highland County. This project makes Virginia a leader in the region and marks the beginning of a bright future for the commonwealth. Virginia has incredible renewable energy potential -- our offshore wind potential is the highest in the South. When coupled with efficiency improvements, it is clear that coal plants could be a thing of the past.

Lauren Glickman, Virginia Campaign Coordinator, Chesapeake Climate Action Network.

Construction of Dominion's Wise County coal plant. Photo by Debra McCown/Bristol Herald Courier

(Richmond, VA)

Dominion power aims to revolutionize the way it distributes electricity, beginning in Charlottesville, VA. On Tuesday morning, members of Albemarle County board of supervisors, the Charlottesville city council, Governor Tim Kaine and Dominion CEO, Tom Farrell, met along the city's pedestrian mall to announce Dominion's new Smart Grid initiative. John Casteen, president of the University of Virginia, was also in attendance. With implementation expected to be completed in the next few months, Charlottesville and the surrounding area will be among the first in Virginia to use the technology on a large scale.

Smart Grid meters allow data to be sent in real time from residential and commercial locations to Dominion, allowing very fast monitoring of energy usage, peak hours, and overall efficiency. The system will assist in better calculating better levels of base-load power, in addition to allowing customers to monitor their personal usage and make changes based on on-and-off peak rates.

Dominion is strumming a fresh chord with this initiative. Formerly a company who treated the "e" word as if it were lethal, the Smart Grid will hopefully aid Dominion in coming to the realization that money can, and will be, made through more efficient distribution promoting conservation among its customers. In the past, utilities have generated profits through increased demand and production. Massive economies of scale wherein cost is reduced through sheer numbers helped to keep giants like Dominion afloat without the need for increases in efficiency standards. While the world rests in economic purgatory, businesses are forced to remodel the way things get done. We've all heard, "small is beautiful." Well, efficiency is marked by small gains aimed at strategic cost-cutting that serve to save energy producers billions in lost energy due to outdated technology. "Everyone benefits from efficiency," says Farrell. For the first time in a long time, Dominion may be correcting course from a prolonged history of avoiding improvements in their distribution network and dumping the costs on consumers.

Governor Kaine offered congratulatory words to the town and Farrell, citing gains made by state government through his Renew Virginia initiative as well as applauding the, "passion of locals," embodying "characteristic humility and modesty." Kaine, who has stifled on environmental policy throughout his tenure, called for Virginia to remain on the crest of the "tidal wave" that is changing energy priorities. The project, according to Kaine, opens the commonwealth to a "whole series of opportunities" for Virginia to become a real leader in energy tech as we move into the 21st century.

The $600 million project bodes well for Charlottesville, a town characterized by progressive attitudes toward energy and the environment. Hopes are that this initiative, with a total of 47,000 smart meters at its completion, will set an example for other communities and energy companies in the state.

Is this another case of Dominion greenwashing? Yes, and no. The Smart Grid program allows consumers and producers to better structure the way electricity is generated and used, leading to higher profit margins and less waste, ideally to be passed on to ratepayers. These improvements have the potential to be good for all of us. If Dominion learns from this experiment, efficiency will likely become a statewide priority. A corporation that blocked a proposed efficiency bill last year is now taking the lead on a new energy future for Virginia. Now if we could wean them off coal, we'd be going places. However, I'm not holding my breath. You haven't earned our trust, yet.

The following is an article written by CCAN supporter and Boucher constituent Theresa Burriss. The piece first appeared in the New River Voice.

After watching Congressman Rick Boucher gut the clean energy bill in the Energy and Commerce Committee, Theresa felt compelled to act. After reading an article a couple weeks later written by the heads of Dominion, Duke Energy and American Electric Power, Theresa wrote this important piece.

I recall, sometime during my parochial elementary education, learning about the structure of our federal government and the roles of each branch. Although I was impressed with the administration and judiciary, the legislature held more of an immediate, relevant meaning for me.

Legislators, supposedly, represented their constituents and their constituents' concerns. They were elected by a direct vote in their district or state to act ethically, create and vote on new bills for the betterment of society, and ultimately serve their constituents. Although I was far too young to vote, I, and my peers, still counted as constituents according to Sister Maria.

Now that I'm well past the minimum voting age, I'm reminded of Sister Maria's government lessons and the ideals associated with them, especially as I continue to read about my own congressman's latest actions, which fall far short of those ideals. I'll begin to enumerate my disappointments with Representative Rick Boucher (D, 9th District) by citing a recent op-ed printed in another media source.